[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 24/Sep/2023]
When preparing for our Harvest Thanksgiving service on ‘Connect in Faith’, I thought I would see what the Bible said about celebrating the harvest. To my surprise, I found that not one but two of the three major Jewish festivals related to harvest.
Exodus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 describe the three major festivals, when all Jewish men were expected to come together to worship God, give thanks for his provision and give generously to those in need. The first is Passover, followed fifty days later by Pentecost, which is also known as the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Harvest, when the people would bring the firstfruits of their crops to God.
The third feast was held around the end of September and called the Feast of Ingathering, to celebrate the end of harvest and the safe gathering of all the crops. This feast is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, as the Jews would live in tabernacles, or tents, in memory of their time in the wilderness, when they had lived in tents and God himself, represented by a pillar of cloud, lived in a tent amongst them.
Once I visited Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles and saw tents on the balconies of people’s homes, where they would sleep during the week of the feast.
What is the significance of these feasts to us? We know that Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us during the Feast of Passover. At Pentecost we received the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is the firstfruits of our inheritance in Christ. (See Ephesians 1 v 13, 14).
The Feast of Ingathering, or Tabernacles looks forward to the time when Jesus will return and gather his people together and God will live in the midst of them.
Revelation 21 v 3-4 says:
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
As it says in the hymn “Come ye thankful people come”:
Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin.
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Last week’s reflection: Navigating Life’s Journey by David Makanjuola
Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © Helen Ruffhead